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The Emmy Awards

After 63 years of Emmys, the award show formula is oh-so familiar by now (ghastly/gorgeous gowns, banal banter, sappy speeches), but occasionally throughout the years a glimmer of sly truth stealthily shatters the hypnotic routine. If only for a merciful moment or two.

This year’s humorous host, Jane Lynch, lobbed some laugh-worthy lyrics: “TV is where dancing with Bristol Palin in a monkey suit is dancing with a star,” and poking fun at her own show: “It’s a world where high school students look roughly 24.” Then donning the persona of her ruthless Sue Sylvester character from GLEE, she got to the unique opportunity, under the guise of satire, to scathingly lambaste the often self-aggrandizing ceremony: “TV is a vast wasteland where good ideas go to die and mediocre ones make zillions of dollars.”

Over fifty years ago in 1959 at the 11th annual Emmy Awards, Mike Nichols and Elaine May shared a similar sentiment about mediocrity. In this rare vintage clip “from the vault” watch a classic moment as the brilliant Nichols & May pay tribute to “the most total mediocrity” in the TV industry:

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.